Ventilator



VIviarh 1s, 1941. J, H GEMENDEN 2,235,211

VENTILATOR 4Filed April '7. 1937 lull III /" JOHN I-I. GEMENDEN.

Patented Mar. 18, 1941 PATENT OFFICE 2,235,211 vEN'rmA'roR.

John H. Gemendcn, PhiladelphiaPa., assigner to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company,` Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation `of Pennsylvania ApplieationApril 7, 1937, serial No'. 135,373

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ventilators andA more particularly to ventilators for -vehicles suchas railway cars and the like.

In its broader aspects, the object of theiinvention is to devise an improved construction of ventilator comprising means for deflecting laterally the air currents generated by theV travel of the vehicle and for causing such deected air currents to produce an aspirating effect at the ends of a conduit extending transversely `of the vehicle.

More specifically, the object of the invention is to devise a ventilator of this character lwhich will operate with equal effectivenesswhen the vehicle is traveling in either direction. The invention is, therefore, particularly applicable to vehicles such as railway cars, ferry boats, and the like, which travel in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to devise a ventilator which will operate eiectively, regardless of the direction of travel of the vehicle, and which has no movable parts whatsoever.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing my improved ventilator applied to the roof of a railway car, parts being broken away, and parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved-ventilator, parts being in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the improved deecting vanes; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the clips employed to secure the ventilator to the car roof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I designates the roof of a car, which is shown as of corrugated sheet metal. Secured to this roof is a circular base plate 2, lthis being held in position by screws or bolts engaging sheet metal clips 3 spot welded to the car roof.

In constructing my improved ventilator I employ four similar curved flanged vanes 4, 5, 6, and l, one of these being clearly illustrated in Fig- 3. These are grouped in two opposed spaced pairs 4, 5 and 6, 1. One end of eachpair of vanes is u brought into substantial contact or united as shown at a `and b, the lines of contact lying in a common plane extending longitudinally of the Vehicle. Moreover, this plane is substantially at right angles to the roof of the vehicle.

From this central longitudinal plane a, b, the

(Cl. SiS- 20) vanes of each pair are laterally and longitudinally'as clearly shown in Fig.4 1.

vThe free ends c and d of the respective pairs of vcurved vanes are lspaced apart longitudinally of the vehicle so as to form between them a conduithaving open ends and extending transverselycf the direction of travel. It will be understood that the plate 2 forms the bottom of this conduit while the curved vanes 4, 5, and ii, l, form respectively the two ends or sides. The top or outer wall of the conduit is formed by a domeshaped cover plate 8 which ts down over the vanes as` clearly shown in the drawing. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the vanes are formed with marginal anges and these flanges are secured as by spot welding to the base plate 2 and to the cover plate 8. In other words, the four curved vanes are assembled between the base and cover plate.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that thev lower edge of the dome-shaped cover plate 8 is spacedfrom the plate 2, or the roof of the vehicle, a distance equal to the height of the ends a. and b of the vanes.

A stack 9 passes through the roof and through an opening inthe plate 2, and projects up into the space between the pairs'of opposed vanes and beneath the dome-shaped cover plate 8. A collar 2a is preferably secured to the inside of the roof and bears against the stack, to which it may be welded or soldered for the purpose of making a water-tight joint. The lower end of the stack 9 is shown as provided with a flange lil which may be coupled to an additional sectionof pipe if it is desired to extend the stack down a 3 considerable distance into thev interior of the vehicle.

In order to prevent the possibility of rain or snow driving into the open ends of the transverse conduit above described, I mount inclined splash guards Il across the upper portion of the ends of such conduit, these splash guards being secured as by welding to the respective vanes adjacent the ends c and d thereof. These guards are in the form of sheet metal plates, the upper edges of which are preferably curled over outwardly as shown at IZ, it being understood that there is a space between the upper edges of these guards and the dome 8 It will be seen that the upper end of the stack 9 projects up to a point well above the loweredges of the guards Il so as to insure that no rain or snow' can find their way into the same.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that when the vehicle is traveling in either direction,

the air currents generated by the longitudinal movement of the vehicle are deflected to eac-h side by the curved vanes 4, `5, or 6, 1, as thev case may be, depending upon the direction of travel, and that these air currents will be caused to flow outwardly past the open ends of the transverse conduit formed by the vanes, in the same general direction as that o-f the axis of said conduit, thusproducing an aspirating effect, which tends to draw air up through the open ends of the conduit,

It will be seen that the curved vanes 4, 5, 6, and 'l are disposed symmetrically about a longitudinal axis and also about a transverse axis, so that the above described aspirating effect is produced to the same extent when the vehicle is traveling in either direction. It will also be noted that all of the elements of the ventilator structure are permanently fixed in position and that there are no moving parts.

While I have shown the ventilator as symmetrical about a transverse axis and therefore operative for either direction of travel, it will of course be understood that if the principle is applied to the construction of a ventilator for ia vehicle traveling alwaysin the same direction, the curved vanes are necessary only on the front or leading side, the rear wall oi the conduit being formed in any desired way.

What I claim is:

1. A ventilator for vehicles comprising two opposed pairs of reversely curved vanes mounted on the top of the roof, the vanes of each pair being in substantial contact at one end, the lines of contact of said pairs of vanes lying in a common plane at substantial right angles to the roof and extending longitudinally of the vehicle, a base plate upon which said vanes are mounted, a dome-shaped cover plate secured to the upper edges of said vanes and having a marginal edge, the marginal edge of said cover plate being spaced from said roof and base plate, and said pairs of vanes being spaced apart to form between them a transversely extending conduit having open ends, and a stack projecting up through said roof and passing through and secured to said base plate into the space between said pairs of vanes but terminating short of said cover` plate where: by it is in free communication with both open ends of the conduit.

2. A ventilator for vehicles comprising two opposed pairs of reversely curved vanes mounted on the top of the roof, the vanes of each pair being in substantial contact at one end, the'lines of contact of said pairs of vanes lying in a common plane at substantial right angles to the roof and extending longitudinally of the vehicle, a base plate upon which said vanes are mounted, a dome-shaped cover plate secured to the upper edges of said vanes and having a marginal edge, the marginal kedge of said cover plate being spaced -from Asaid roof and kbase plate, and said pairs of vanes being spaced apart to form between them a transversely extending conduit having open ends, a stack projecting up through said roof and passing through and secured to said base plate into lthe space between said pairs of vanes but terminating short of said cover plate, whereby it is in free communication with both open ends of the conduit, and inclined splash guards extending across-the ends of `said conduit inwardly and upwardly. v

3. A ventilator unit for association with a substantially flat-roofed vehicle having a stack project-ing through an opening therein anda short distance above the surrounding roof area, said ventilator unit being removably associated with said roof and stack and having a base plate for securing it in position, a domed top spaced from produce a 4vacuum in the ends of the conduit.

JOHN H. GEMENDEN. 

